Foolproof Strudel Dough

Author Notes

I have this incredible photograph of my great-grandmother that I love. In it, she wears an smocky sort of apron next to a a large table covered in cherry strudel. The thinly stretched dough almost isn’t noticeable under the dark cherries scattered over the surface. When my mom and I talked about it, she told me that she watched her grandma make strudel many times, but she was never able to get a full recipe.

I worked on this one for a long time after, and discovered that strudel is one of those impressive recipes that’s actually a lot easier than you think. It’s since become one of my favorite things to bake—and I think it’s a perfect baking project to tackle (especially with a friend or family member) this winter.

Mixing the dough for a long time creates an intense gluten structure that (after a nice, long rest) makes the stretching so fun, and less scary than it may seem. A tablecloth under the dough makes it easier to manipulate—and don’t worry about any tiny tears or holes that occur—they’ll get lost in the layers of it all when you finally roll the strudel up. If you’re able to, stretch the dough on a small table or kitchen island—it makes the process a lot easier if you can move all the way around the table, and use it for stability to get it as thin as possible. —Erin Jeanne McDowell

Test Kitchen Notes

Bake It Up a Notch is a column by Resident Baking BFF Erin Jeanne McDowell. Each month, she'll help take our baking game to the next level, teaching us all the need-to-know tips and techniques and pointing out all the mistakes to avoid along the way. —The Editors